Monday, 30 September 2013

Our September Student of the Month Assembly will take place on Thursday, October3rd at 8:35 a.m. The theme for September Student of the Month was "great start".

All are welcome to attend.

Smile

School photos will take place on Wednesday, October 2th.

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Thanksgiving Mass

Please join us on Monday, October 7th in the school gym as we celebrate our Thanksgiving Mass. It will take place at 1:15 p.m. Thank you to Mrs Scipione's Grade 6 and Miss Bonura's Grade 5/6 for organizing the mass.

EQAO Results

The results of Ontario's Province-Wide Assessments of Reading, Writing and Mathematics, Primary Division (Grades 1-3) and Junior Division (Grades 4-6) have been distributed to all students who took part in the Spring 2013 assessment. Our students and teachers with your support have done very well. We scored above the Provincial and the School Board in all areas but one. A summary of the results of students achieving at level 3 & 4 is listed below. At the school level, we will be reviewing individual student results and school trends. We are also committed to continuing our work with regards to improving student learning and achievement. EQAO data is one of the factors, along with report card and other school-based assessments that we consider when deciding on school-wide instructional goals.

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Grade 3 Reading – 79% Grade 6 Reading – 93%

Grade 3 Writing – 89% Grade 6 Writing – 97%

Grade 3 Mathematics – 57% Grade 6 Mathematics – 73%

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~Canned Goods for St. Vincent de Paul

A heartfelt thank you to all those that participated in our canned food drive for the St. Vincent de Paul Society. A total of 2550 canned goods were collected. We collected 962 more canned goods than last year! The winners of the pizza lunch will be announced at the Student of the Month Assembly.

Rosary Apostolate Program

The Rosary Apostolate program will continue again this year. It will begin the month of October. The students will continue to learn about the saints of our Catholic Church, the uniqueness of our Rosary praying traditions and how Mary is the Queen of all Saints. This will take place once a month.

~Mad Science After School Program

Mad Science After School Program will be offered again this year. It will take place every Monday from October 28th—December 2nd from 3:15—4:15 p.m. This is for grades 1 –6. An information package was sent home on September 30th for those of you interested in enrolling your child.

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Hallowe'en Bake Sale

There will be a Hallowe'en Bake Sale on Thursday, October 31st. Thanks to grades JK/SKD, 2M, 4/5Mc. And 6S who will be baking this month. A reminder that Stella Maris is an allergen aware school and all products should be nut safe. We thank you for your understanding in this matter. Looking forward to some yummy treats. Thanks to Parent Council for organizing this bakesale.

Thursday, October 31st, 2013

We will celebrate the Hallowe'en spirit by designating Thursday, October 31st, 2013 as "Orange and Black" day. All students are encouraged to wear these colours.

Pizza Wednesdays

We will continue to sell pizza by the slice starting on Wednesday, October 9th. A slice of pizza will cost $1.50. Money must be in by the Monday of that week. No forms will be given, teachers will record student's names of who ordered. The pizza follows the healthy eating guideline. Pizza is ordered from Dominos

Hotdog Lunch

Parent Council has arranged for a hotdog lunch on Friday, October 25th More information will be forthcoming.

Teacher Appreciation

On October 5th, teachers around the world are celebrated and recognized for the important work they do each day. Teachers give our children the gift of knowledge and understanding while developing physical, social, and spirit wellness in each child.

To the staff of Stella Maris, thanks for all you do!

Grade8s' off to Muskoka Woods

We wish the Grade 8 students and teachers a safe trip to Muskoka Woods scheduled from Tuesday, October 15th—Friday, October 18th. Remember the Muskoka motto—You don't have to be the best, just do your best!

~Soccer and Cross Country

We are very proud of both our girls' and boys' soccer teams. They are working very hard under the direction of girls' soccer coaches Miss Bonura and Mr. DeThomasis and boys' soccer coach Mr. Mathieson. Mrs. Vipond will be working with all of the students who have come out for Cross-Country. We look forward to the 2:00 p.m. meet on Tuesday, October 29th at Malden Park. Please be mindful of the parking as they are enforcing the no parking zone! Go Stingrays! The raindate will be on Wednesday, October 30th.

Give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endureth forever.

~Psalm 107:1~

Thanksgiving Day

Although thanks should be given all the time, Monday, October 14th is a special day for all to give thanks for the many blessings which have been given to us. A wonderful weekend among friends and loved ones is hoped for everyone in the Stella Maris community.

United Way-Your Donations Count

Thank you to those who have donated to the United Way Campaign. The Windsor-Essex School's Safety Patrol Association is fully funded by the United Way. The Bus and Foot Patrols who ensure the safety of all students as they make their way to and from school appreciate your support. If you still wish to donate it is never too late. Please contact United Way 519-258-0000.

Going Green

Beginning with the November newsletter Stella Maris will be going green, no longer providing a hard copy of the newsletter. As in the past the newsletter has been on the school website—wecdssb.on.ca/~223 or our Catholic Elementary School Web Portal where you will find links to our School News Blog, Twitter Feed and online Calendar.

This will save a tremendous amount of paper. If you do not have access to a computer a hard copy will be made available at the office. The school information bulletin board located outside the office will also have a posted newsletter.

From the Health Unit- "Ingredients" for a Safe Fall

Pack lunches safely. To keep cold foods cold, use an insulated lunch bag with an ice pack. You can also freeze a drink to help foods stay cold. To keep hot foods hot, make sure food is piping hot then place in a thermos rinsed with very hot water.

Resiliency is the ability to "bounce back" from hardships and change. Help guide your children through tough times by giving them consistent rules and setting realistic expectations.

As they say, the worst thing that you can say to your children about drugs 'is nothing at all'. Parents who talk to their children and monitor their activities, reduce the likelihood of those children using drugs.

Children's recreational screen time should be limited to no more than 2 hours per day. Instead of computers, video games, and television time, encourage your children to do activities that strengthen their muscles and bones. Try activities such as weight training (ages 12-17), yoga, skipping, running, swimming, dancing or basketball.

Most playground related injuries are predictable and preventable. To help keep your children safe, use equipment that is age appropriate and geared to their ability level. As well, tie up loose strings and tuck in loose clothing. Remove hats, scarves and other items that could get caught in equipment.

Flu season is here. In children, 90% of all colds, flus, sore throats and aches and pains are caused by viruses that cannot be cured by antibiotics. Prevent the flu by getting your whole family vaccinated with the free flu shot.

Friday, 27 September 2013

Important Memo

Dear Parents/Guardians:

In the past month we have had an enormous amount of congestion in the foyer at the end of the day. It has become a safety concern especially when our students are being dismissed. If you do not have a child in JK/SK please pick them up at the side of the school on William Street. All children are dismissed on William Street with their classes. You may continue to park in the parking lot.

We thank you for your cooperation as safety is our number one concern.

Thursday, 5 September 2013

It
is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the 2013-2014 school year. We
welcome back all of our students and extend a special welcome to all the new
students, parents and new staff members who are joining us for the first time.

We
would like to thank and acknowledge the work of our custodians, teachers, and
office and support staff who have been working hard during the summer, to get
the school ready for opening day. This
is a true sign of dedication and professionalism.

Please be assured that the
tenets of our Catholic faith will be an integral part of the curricula through
the day. We, at Stella Maris are
committed to meeting the challenges of preparing our students for an
ever-changing world. I invite you to
participate in the education of all our children as we work together with the
parish to develop a life-long love of learning.
We view the partnership of family, parish, and school as something that
is sacred and entrusted to us through the love of the Father.

Please note our time changes
as of September 3, 2013.

School Schedule:

Entrance Bell 8:25
am

Recess 10:27
- 10:42 am

Lunch 11:22-
12:22 pm

Recess 2:04
-2:19 pm

Dismissal 3:00 pm

Keeping our Students Safe:

Please be sure
to call in your child’s absence and/or late attendance at 519-736-6408.
The answering machine is available 24 hours a day. We are responsible for your
child’s safety and well-being and a simple call is a tremendous help to us.
Thank you.

As
we begin a new school year, it is important to recognize that change is an inevitable
part of any new beginning. Many students move in or out of the area throughout
the summer months. This has a direct impact on school staffing. Please be
advised that your child's classroom teacher(s), special education teacher or
educational assistant may be subject to change until the end of September.
Please keep in mind that we strive to keep these changes to a minimum, but they
may be required to maintain consistency and equity throughout the system as
well as to meet Ministry of Education Guidelines. Your support and understanding in this process
is appreciated.

Like many schools in the province of Ontario we have a number of combined grades this year. The full Ministry of Education publication on “Combined Grades” is available at the Ministry of Education
website: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca.

Each student has been given a list of materials for use
in the classroom. Purchasing of suggested items is optional. The recycling of used school materials such as binders,
dictionaries, scissors, rulers etc. is strongly encouraged.

In the tradition, which was established years, ago
students in Grades 1-8 will receive a Student Planner. The cost of the planner
is five dollars to the students. The
remainder has been subsidized by the CSAC. Agenda/Planners will be distributed to the
students this week.

In the next few
days we will be sending home a package containing very important forms and the
September newsletter. Please take the time to go over the forms carefully
especially where information is requested in regards to contact details. This
information is extremely critical in the case of an emergency. All forms must be returned to your child’s
classroom teacher by Tuesday, September 17th.

An exciting, dynamic 2013-2014 School Year lies ahead. The
staff and I look forward to meeting you on Stella Maris’s Meet the Teacher ice
cream social, Tuesday, September 10th from 6:00-7:00 p.m.